U by Kotex Cleanwear Heavy Flow Pads (Pictures & Blurb)

Since I’ve already done a review on the Kotex All-Nighter Pads before, I’m not going to review something too similar. Below are some pictures of the U by Kotex Cleanwear Heavy Flow Pads for your reference and interest. This pad is essentially a “smaller” version of the overnight UbK pad-series. Having seen lots of “heavy” or “super” length pads, I found the UbK one to actually be quite short. When I tested this one, I found that the top layer is even more comfortable than the all-nighter one because it has a bit of “padding” yet not so thick as to make it intrusive or annoying. Furthermore, it stands up to quite a large amount of fluid while maintaining a dry top-layer. The “absorption” is clearly visible from the bottom, thus you can gauge how well it can absorb even the heaviest of flows, especially because the pad becomes quite “heavy” (weight wise) afterward, so you can tell it’s definitely capable of providing quality protection.

Suffice to say, this pad actually made me “reconsider” the UbK line of pads since I kind of got turned off by them due to the price and that it wasn’t “up to the expectation” I once had set out for it. Giving the Cleanwear one another chance, I definitely can see its merits now and I am impressed with my overall experience with this one. When I tested the all-nighter version, the “hype” was there, but overly impressed, I was not. On the other hand, this Cleanwear one I actually like more, even though I would wager the design is highly similar, at just a lesser size. I really like the UbK Cleanwear Heavy Flow pad, so if you’re not interested in trying their super-long-huge all-nighter one, this one might be a great alternative to try out!

All the above pictures are “clickable” for a higher-resolution version.

Since this isn’t a full-out review, if you have any questions/comments in regards to this pad (or well, anything on the site really), feel free to let me know and ask away here so that others may benefit from the answers as well! However, should you want more privacy or whatnot, feel free to email me as well.

Ya, the o/n version is really damn long compared to this one though, lol… so I guess it depends on the application of it and how heavy/light your flow is… and also how often you can change. I rather like the compactness of this version since by “ratio” quite different than the overnight, yet still providing excellent protection. I figured rather than listing all the measurements, putting a ruler next to the pad might just be as effective😛

So what products do you use regularly now and do you have any great/terrible experiences that stand out in your mind?

Heh, she’s small but I like the fact she uses pretty big pads😛 (in comparison to her size)… also, the pads were made for tweens, not an adult female body size… it’d be very small for her, probably too short and not wide enough to wrap her panties. I’ve already “scanned” bebe’s body before and compared it to the size of the UbK tween pad, definitely wouldn’t work properly for her😀 – otherwise ya, I would’ve had her test it already. Honestly, the tween size would be like the size of a pantiliner for her, haha.

I think we’ll just both stick to our awesome Stayfree pads😆 got lots of coupons for it!

The pads you have listed are the first version of the U by Kotex Line. You could tell because they are made in china. The Tween line and the newer packages of U by Kotex pads are made in the USA. Not sure if that is the only difference.

My wife is a always girl, but her sister bought a package of these pads. She gave them to my wife because i guess she didn’t care for them. My wife gave them a try and didn’t seem to care for them either. She went back to always and these are going in the trash.

It wasn’t until I looked back at this pictures to realize you’re right, LOL. Although they’re “distributed” from places in the US and Canada, they’re listed as being made in China – wow, I guess I never read the box, haha. Even the All-Nighter’s that I tried for the first time were listed as being made in China as well. You’re right, I’m not sure if there’s a different quality standard, so next time I have to be on-the-lookout to see if I can find ones specifically made domestically to see if there’s a noticeable difference. I would hope the ones made in US/Canada versus the ones made in China are held to the same QA standards.

I seem to have a back-and-forth feeling about Always. For the longest time I’ve always (lol) been a big fan of Always pads, but it has changed a lot over the years I’ve seen them. Kotex for sure change majorly as well, the old pink-type pads and the ones with Velcro tabs were definitely high up on my list. I guess the great thing about the Always made here is that they’re also made in Canada as well, so at least there’s a bit of comfort over the expectations and safety standards placed on them. I rather liked the Always before they switched to the so-called “cotton-like cover”… because the ones now don’t really feel like they’re cotton all the much, despite the “appearance” that it is cottony… don’t even know how to explain it😆

Stayfree in my mind has always been the “underdog” and the less valued one, but in all reality, I’ve liked the way they’ve stayed under-the-radar and still make great pads nevertheless. I was a big fan of Stayfree even before I found out my girlfriend uses them, so I can’t say I’m biased for that reason😀 I just wish they’d do something about the scent on their pads or give people an option of getting scented/unscented ones like they used to!

I’ve thought about both those things, but buying those vintage products almost seems wasteful to test, since they’re supposed to be “antiques” – LOL.. that’d be like taking a heirloom and smashing it up, haha. I’d be more likely to treasure those vintage products than to experiment with them! Also, they’re usually not cheap since they’re vintage.

The showdown has been brought up to me multiple times before by other readers, but it’s a VERY large undertaking and I’m not sure if I’d have the patience for it. It’d be nice if my girls had their periods all at once where I could get them all to test a variety of products throughout the day and throughout their light/medium/heavy flow days, but it’s tough since most of their periods tend to be fairly far apart. Also, only a few of my girls actually agree to let me post their experiences on my blog – some will test/give me opinions on their usages and such, but have told me they don’t feel comfortable with it being posted up (whether their names are mentioned or not), so I have to respect that.

Likewise, I avoid posting any opinions about pads/tampons or period-info about my girlfriend since she has not consented and since she’s not “one of my girls” – I prefer that I maintain her privacy for myself😛 Unfortunately I’m not like Padtastic (I’m almost sure you know him from Kayo’s haha) who has a girlfriend willing to give him all the ins and outs about her period and menstrual supplies😀 Lucky bastard, lol.

I noticed quite a few online companies actually sell Asia-imported pads online, but only ship to the US – arg… wish there was one in Canada, it’d be great!

Yep, I know eh. Oddly enough, as much as I usually love pads from Asia, I do not have any appeal to the Kotex in Malaysia. I know that Kotex is a very big brand, but I’ve actually been able to persuade many of my Malaysia girl-friends to switch out of that brand, lol, especially because it is a “premium” brand and costs more as opposed to other brands offered in the country. Although I have not tested the Kotex there before, I’ve done research on it and from the looks of it – it does not seem to compare up to the standards I have for Asian-pads.

Although UbK isn’t available in Malaysia, you could always try their LUXE line… apparently that’s about as close as you’ll be able to get to UbK without importing them or finding an import-store that will sell UbK. In all honesty, there’s much better options in Malaysia than Kotex, I’d suggest Sofy, Whisper (another expensive brand), Stayfree and Laurier. I’d personally recommend Sofy and Stayfree though. The LUXE series does look cool and hopefully I’ll be able to get a “tin” (haha) of them some time. If you REALLY REALLY want to try UbK though, you can give eBay a shot!

Sophia and Poh Ching both told me about Intimate before, but given that it’s a country-specific brand, I won’t be able to test it out until I go visit Malaysia or something. I heard both “good” and “bad” reviews over it… and have even read some on SG and MY forums. Do you prefer them with or without wings?

Ya, I figured you were a guy given that your handle is “prince”… it’d be weird for a girl to have used prince rather than princess😛 Doesn’t matter to me whether I talk to males or females, as long as they hold menstruation with respect and have genuine interest in periods/feminine hygiene, then they’re all welcome here!

Ya, Sofy pads are pretty thin and flimsy… despite saying that, I still like them, haha. The flimsy part is what also makes it comfortable though, since if the pad was too hard/rough, it would just be annoying. As long as the pad ABSORBS, then flimsy is not an issue, but doesn’t give a “physical” sense of security when you see it limp without support, haha. The first time I opened up a Sofy pad, I thought it was going to fall apart because it looked so fragile😆 – but after testing it, I can see why they’re so good! My general sentiment is that I like wings as well, but certain pads actually are more comfortable or work better WITHOUT wings…

I don’t know about the too long part – you’re right, it probably has to do with her body size. I know some fairly small girls who use Sofy and don’t complain it is too big, that is unless they use the overnight one. Cherrie refuses to try the 40+ cm ones because they’re bigger than her, LOL… I think for a smaller sized girl, any of the 20-32cm-ish ones would be fine, unless they have a very heavy period and can’t cope with changing regularly. At 34cm, that’s when it may start becoming bothersome for smaller girls. I gave my girlfriend a longer pad to try and she was mocking me that it seemed like a diaper because it’d be so big on her and go all the way up her back😄 Given her body size plus the length of the pad, I know it wouldn’t actually do that, she’s over-exaggerating but I know what she means😛

I don’t think we should place a negative label on ourselves. Our interests are valid just like anyone else. When you look at a guy who likes cars and a guy who likes periods, what difference does it make? – it is only because what society has defined as being “male” or “female” interests… in the end, it is a hobby which makes us happy and fulfilling. What we’re doing is not a crime, it is not hurting anyone and in fact, it helps us perceive menstruation, the female body and understanding of feminine hygiene a lot better than most guys would – it’s an advantage, not a disadvantage. I used to worry about the shame and embarrassment that goes with it, but I’ve also spoken to many men AND women and it actually isn’t surprizing to most women that liking periods is ok, because it is associated with their vagina and it’s understandable we like it, HAHA.

I’ve met quite a handful of “menstrual enthusiastic” in places like Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Philippines… maybe a bit of our Asian heritage seems to cause our male minds and hormones to be attracted to periods😀